SACRAMENTO -- What Steve Nash described as “an obviously pretty horrible 13 months for me” could be nearing an end for the veteran Lakers point guard.

Or not.

“I might not be able to play anymore, I might have to yo-yo it or I might be able to play the rest of the way,” Nash said Friday morning of his comeback from nerve irritation in his back that has sidelined him since Nov. 10 as well as an assortment of injuries that have bothered him since he broke his leg early last season.

Nash said he had hoped earlier in the week to play against the Sacramento Kings on Friday before deciding to take a more conservative approach to ensure he wouldn’t “risk this kind of yo-yo season” in which he vacillates between playing and sitting out.

“The bottom line is, we don’t know how much I can sustain,” Nash said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on back there, but I’ve worked really hard and made a lot of improvement and I’m gaining confidence I can play again. We’ll see how realistic that is to sustain or survive the demands of a game.”